This is our own annual competition and is held in October at our AGM, the first meeting of the new season. The theme is chosen by members, who are asked to vote on submitted entries and prizes are awarded, including holding the Fitzwilliam Bison for the year.
This Year (2023) our Theme for your pottery creations is:
PAIRS
A reminder of the rules:
1. The item must be made after the theme is announced – this was on 1st January this year.
2. It should be made by one person only and that person must be a paid up Guild member.
3. It should be mostly or entirely ceramic.
The deadline for completion of entries is Thursday 8th September so that pieces can be displayed at the Kingsbury Barn Exhibition before members vote online on the shortlist, in the week after the exhibition closes.
Entries must be brought to the Kingsbury Barn on Thursday setting up day to be displayed and photographed (by me) for the members online vote, which will take place after the exhibition ends.
There will be an anonymous public vote during the Exhibition, with a special prize for the ‘public’s favourite’ winner.
There will be an online vote by members to shortlist the entries for a formal members vote (how we organise this will be decided nearer the time)
The announcement for the winning piece and two runners up, and the public’s favourite, will be given after the formal business of the AGM in October.
Please bring your completed piece to the Kingsbury Barn exhibition on Thursday 8th September, with the following details:
- Your name
- Title of the piece
- Contact details
We will verify that you are a paid up member of The DCPG, photograph your piece for the online vote and display it in the barn for all to see.
You will be responsible for bringing your piece to the Barn and for collecting it at the end of the exhibition.
Fitzwilliam Competition 2021 Winner: Beverly Benson for ‘Father Time’ (theme: Time).
First Prize of £80 to Bev Benson for Father Time
Second Prize of £50 to Fiona Cristol, for Tea Time Teapot
Joint Third Prize of £25 each to Jerry Seaborn and Margaret Tatton-Brown, For the Life Time Postbox Topper and the Summer Time Platter.
2019 – Entries were exhibited during the annual AGM meeting at Kings Langley Church Hall and the winner announced.
Background
The Fitzwilliam Competition began as a memorial to a founding member, Stan Romer, whose estate funded the three prizes. This has now been taken over by Sylvia Fitzwilliam, widow of another founding member, Mervyn, who was chairman until 2013. Mervyn and Sylvia supported the Guild throughout those years in many ways, including organising workshops, garden parties, outreach events, firings and the quarterly newsletter. They maintained all these activities in the spirit established at the Guild’s foundation and which those running the group today endeavour to follow.
The rules of the competition are
- that the competitors must be paid up current members
- the work is made entirely by the one member who submits it
- the work must be recent – made after our Open Day, when the topic is chosen by vote
- the work is mostly ceramic
The winner receives a 12 month custodianship of the bison trophy (below). In addition, cash prizes are given to First, Second and Third places.
The competition is judged by an independent potter who is also invited to be the guest speaker and demonstrator for that evening. In 2019, the adjudicator was DCPG president, John Higgins.
| Year | Theme | Winners |
| 2021 | Time | Beverly Benson |
| 2020 | Planters | Beverly Benson |
| 2019 | Birds/bird baths | Andrew Gardner |
| 2018 | Totem poles | Wendy Peters |
| 2017 | Things with lids | Les Parrott |
| 2016 | Teapots | Mark Compton |
| 2015 | By the Seaside | Jenny Birch |
| 2014 | Contrasts | Ruby Sharp |
| 2013 | Ceramics and Mixed Media | Les Parrott |